Reform UK suspends two senior officials amid foreign-donor funding allegations
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Reform UK has placed two senior staff members on suspension while an internal probe examines footage suggesting discussions of a £500,000 donation from a U.S. source, which may breach electoral rules.
Anti-immigration party Reform UK said on Friday that senior adviser Dan Jukes and policy chief James Orr have stepped down pending an internal investigation after Channel 4 broadcast footage that appeared to show them discussing a £500,000 contribution from a U.S. donor. The video, later identified as a sting operation by the investigative group Verbatim, featured an actor posing as the donor’s son and a reporter as the father.
In the recording, Farage listened as the participants outlined how the money could be routed to the party, and Orr suggested the donor could fund opinion polls. Under UK electoral law, parties may only accept donations from British voters or UK-registered entities.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the conversations as informal “pub talk” and denied any wrongdoing, stating the party has taken no illegal money. He added that the individuals involved are contractors who may have made “injurious” remarks.
The incident coincided with Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham, where Farage faced protests and claimed the party was being targeted. He suggested “foreign-funded hard-left activists” were behind what he called an “entrapment” operation.
The governing Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said they have referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police. The Electoral Commission said it is reviewing the information and is in contact with the police.
Reform UK, founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party, holds eight seats in the House of Commons and has seen recent electoral setbacks. Farage also faces a parliamentary ethics inquiry over a previously undeclared £5 million gift from a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor.